Puppy Training

[ahoge]

Hello all -
First off - GAD - I think that this board is great. Thanks for making it!
We have a 13 week old puppy which is my husband and my first dog as grown ups and first newf for both of us. She is just a doll 90% of the time. We have her in a puppy training class that is all positive - a modification on clicker training. She is doing great with her commands, sit, down,
touch, shake, come. She gets into these crazed moods however where she doesn't listen at all and will jump on us, the sofa, or mouth our hands. The positive training people recomend ignoring her or training an incompatible behavior. Sometimes this isn't just quite enough nor is the word "no". We try time outs but im not sure that she always makes the connection with what she did wrong. The rest of the time she is very sensitive to our dissatisfaction.
Basically, im a push over and looking for a way to let her know more clearly that her behavior is unacceptable.
Any thoughts?
TIA,
Ann

 

[Khiori]

Ann, at 13 weeks old, she's still very much a puppy. I wouldn't expect her to be on best behaviour all the time ... er... yet.

Hang in there. She's a baby and still needs to act like one (imo). As she gets older she'll settle down and remember her manners. BTW, congrats on your new puppy!

 

[GAD]

Patience!

13 weeks is young! She is 100% puppy and is still learning the ropes. She'll get there. Just be consistent. She's testing you every step of the way, and consistance shows that you are a capable Alpha.

BTW she will have bursts of -ahem- "enthusiasm" until she's at least two!

Enjoy her.

-GAD-

 

[ahoge]

Thanks for the reassurance....
I guess thats all i needed.
We went for a walk this morning and met the other neighborhood newf that we have been
hearing so much about.
She is a great dog, very well trained and her owner reassured me that she was just a wild as a puppy.
They had a great time playing and we made plans to all go down to the beach at lake michigan.
Thanks for the advice!
Ann

 

[Lynne]

Puppy fits only 'til 2? You're an optimist, GAD!! Our Becca had puppy fits and starts until a month before we lost her, at 12!!

Seriously, she WILL outgrow the puppy crazies. And if you're in Michigan (I know it's a big state!), I'd try to get to Ann Thibault's Mean Dog Lady Training classes. She's got a lot of common sense and a great Newfie background, as does her husband.
Lynne

 

[Baloosmom]

What am I missing here? We have a 5 year old yellow lab, and now Baloo (14 weeks), he is sooooo much better behaved and sooooo much more mellow than Gus (the lab) ever was!! LOL Am I lucky, or is Baloo plotting, planning and waiting to sneak up on me???

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[Lynne]

Some are sweet, but some are trouble looking for something to get into! I've had both in the same litter, even! Each Newf, (actually each DOG) is an individual. But they're usually more mellow than a lot of sporting dogs. But if Baloo is just a baby, he MIGHT decide to play Gotcha, too. They can go through the stubborn teens at about 8 mos to a year. There are SOME, however, who are brats! For some reason, I usually tend to like those. But life is never dull around here!!

 

[newby]

As most of you know by now, I am hoping to get my puppy soon and plan to enroll in a kindergarten that uses the clicker method asap. First question what is your opinion on clicker method? Second before I get to the class, I will want to be teaching my dog how to walk on a lead at home right from the start, do I use a collar or harness and do you have any advice/tips! I LOVE this board! TIA!

 

[Kodiak]

Kodi (not quite 9 months) has enrolled in an 8 week obedience class. He hated the lead as a puppy, but now will heal with or without it. He does have the tendency to lean though. His sits and stays are perfect, but the down command is a bit harder. Does anyone have any suggestions? It's not easy wrestling a 103 lb "puppy" to the floor. This class uses treats for rewards which I'm not use to. There aren't any clicker training classes here on Long Island, NY which seems to be the upcoming way to do obedience traing.

Brenda and Kodi

 

[Jeannie]

Ok you will need a slip collar to start your newf in obedience. not a harness or a buckle collar you will not get enough control. Most newfs learn well with food as a motivator or reward--not a bribe. If your newf is not having fun they will refuse to work for you so make all lessons short and fun. I always start out with treats. A treat is a treat no matter how big it is, so a small treat works well. Also use a delicious treat that they only get when training--roast beef, liver, cheese. do not give these treats any other time except for training. Use a soft treat that they can eat very quickly. At first you will use lots and lots and lots of treats, but then you faze them out as they learn.

I have used a clicker before and I get more results from treats. clicker training looks very easy but you have to very quick with the click (split seconds count) or the dog will not associate the click to the corrct behavior. I use a praise word "YES" when anything is done correctly instead of a clicker. That way I always have my "praise" with me even in the show ring. The judge says "are you ready" I say "yes" and Sam looks right at me because "yes" means random treat. (I cannot click in the ring)

As for starting our puppy to lead. You don't need a lead, just use a treat and have them follow it as you hold it next to your left leg. Don't expect "heel position" as long as they follow praise and give treats. Lots of treats.

Getting your dog to down and stay can be hard. Don't expect a long down at first. Start with a few seconds and build on that. Use the treat to get them to down. If you wrestle them to the ground they are not learning anything. Use the treat have them down by sitting them then using the treat to get them down. At first as soon as the elbows touch the ground give a treat, them delay the treat for a second or two after they start understanding what you want.

Hope my 2 cents worth helps.


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Jeannie and the rescues
Sara, Samantha and Panda

 

[Kodiak]

Jeannie. I'll try the treat on the down command as you suggest. Thanks

Brenda and Kodi

 

[newby]

Thanks Jeannie! I think this P-K is a combo clicker/reward like your yes/reward. The way she explained it was click then treat for + behavior then gradually fade out the clicks/treats as you said, but yes seems so much easier.

 

[Miyax]

I also use the word "yes" as a 'bridge word' for Ese. It's marvelous! Ese picked up right away that "yes" = treat and that he must've done the right thing. He knows now that that word means he did what I wanted him to do and I have phazed out treats almost all together. I still use them at random.

As for the down-stay position, one extra tid-bit that may help: To easily get him in the down position (I use the word "settle" because he heard the word "down" to much in class when other dogs were jumping on their owners) lure your pup with the treat right in front of their nose to the down position. If you hold it in your fingers - so that they can see/smell it but can't get at it - and move it slowly to the floor and hold it there the pup will likely eventually lay down to try to get at it.

 

[Kodiak]

Tried the treat in the hand to get Kodi to go down on a down stay command and it worked

Thank you for the training tip.

Brenda